


The Package

by SilverLining09



Series: Monsta X PJO AU [1]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Changkyun appears later, Gen, Namjoon Cameo, Rick Riordan Demigod Universe | Riordanverse, aged-down characters, mostly showhoki, no pjo characters, ooc is possible, prologue to another unwritten fic, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24705268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverLining09/pseuds/SilverLining09
Summary: Shownu, Wonho and Kihyun were tasked to get a package for Camp Half-Blood from the Lotus Casino. This is their quest.A Monsta X Percy Jackson AU.(Prologue Arc to another fic that I may or may not publishI decided to post this since I finished the outline)
Series: Monsta X PJO AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1786069
Comments: 7
Kudos: 6





	1. Regular Day (Prologue Arc 1)

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer!! I don't own the PJO universe or MX.  
> This is just a fictional story!  
> This is just an AU. Don't like, don't read.

It was a regular day at Camp Half-Blood. A seventeen-year-old boy comes out from Cabin 3. The cabin was a low building with walls made of abalone and always had the distinct smell of sea-breeze. During Autumn the smell of the sea-breeze was mixed with the autumn air like today. The boy loved the scent, although he did feel lonely since he was the only one in the cabin.

The boy was around 180 cm. He is tan with a muscular body frame, and he is hungry. So, he went to the Dining Pavilion to go get some breakfast. “Morning Shownu-hyung,” a voice greeted him in Korean before he entered the pavilion. The boy-Shownu- turned to look at the speaker. It was one of his close friends Hoseok.

Hoseok was one year younger than Shownu, but he was just as muscular. Hoseok was also pale in terms of skin colour and had a perfect smile. “Morning, Wonho,” Shownu greeted back in Korean. Wonho was the name Hoseok liked to go by, just like how Shownu was the name the boy wanted to go by. His real name is Hyunwoo, and Shownu was his stage name. Hoseok chose Wonho because it meant protector.

The two entered the pavilion together and saw their four other friends already sitting at their usual table. It was the designated table for Poseidon’s children. But since Shownu was the only child of Poseidon, and he didn’t want to sit alone, Shownu asked Chiron and Mr. D. permission to invite his friends over. After discussing it with the other gods, they all agreed that Shownu and his friends can all eat together at Poseidon’s table.

When the two boys reached their table, Shownu noticed one of his friends was frowning. “What’s wrong, Ki?” Ki or Kihyun was the shortest person in their group of friends but also the smartest. He had blond hair, brown eyes and looked like a hamster. “Nothing,” Kihyun responded.

Shownu noticed the annoyed expression he was giving at Hyungwon. Hyungwon was the tallest in the group and the skinniest, thus the complete opposite of Kihyun. He had big lips, and the mean kids would say he looks like a frog. Despite all that, Hyungwon was the most gorgeous member of their group with his trademark nonchalant look, a trait common to the children of Aphrodite. He also could change his appearance. Today, Hyungwon decided to go for blond hair and grey eyes. The look that is more common to the children of Athena. Shownu realized why Kihyun was mad.

“Kihyun’s just mad that Hyungwon can pull off the Athena look better than he can,” Minhyuk said with a cheeky smile and confirming Shownu’s thoughts. Kihyun’s glare transferred over to Minhyuk. “But you aren’t a child of Athena, you’re her grandson,” Wonho said with a confused expression. “Hoseok…shut up,” Kihyun said in English. Wonho immediately zipped. The English language indicated just how annoyed Kihyun was. Coincidently ("No such things," Chiron would say), Shownu and his five friends are all Korean. So, the six of them would always speak in the Korean language. It was something that brought the six of them closer. Anyway, Wonho might be stronger than Kihyun, but Kihyun had the brains to land Wonho on his butt in front of everyone.

“Wonho is right, you know,” Minhyuk said. “You are way too sensitive over this.” Minhyuk, unlike everyone else in the table, didn’t care about the wrath of Kihyun. But it also showed how close the two boys were, although they will never admit it. Before Kihyun ends up doing something he might regret, Shownu stepped in. “That’s enough, you two,” he said. “Minhyuk stop riling up Kihyun and Kihyun, looks don’t determine your heritage, you should know that.” The two of them stopped. 

“By the way, Won,” Minhyuk said, turning to Hyungwon. “You want me to make you something? You look more tired than usual.” Being the Son of Apollo, Minhyuk could always tell when someone was not acting their usual self. “Nah,” Hyungwon said. “I just need to sleep.”

“Did you have a dream last night?” Jooheon asked. “Yeah, I dreamed about an owl,” Hyungwon responded. Kihyun raised an eyebrow. “An owl?”

“Yeah,” Hyungwon said. “The owl looked scared and wanted a friend. I tried to reach out to it, but it ran away.”

“Why would you dream about an owl?” Jooheon asked. “Those things are creepy.” Kihyun hit Jooheon on his head. “You want to suffer the wrath of the Goddess of Wisdom?”

“I can’t help what I dream, Honey,” Hyungwon said. “You know that.”

Chiron gallops up to their table. “David, Cameron, and William please come to Mr. D’s office; you have been summoned.” Shownu, Kihyun and Wonho looked at each other. David, Cameron and William were their respective American names. Chiron usually called them by their American name only for quests. “May the gods be with you,” Hyungwon, Minhyuk and Jooheon said to their three friends.

The three boys entered Mr. D’s office. “You’re finally here,” Mr. D. grumbled. He was reading a paper written in Ancient Greek with a Diet Coke in his hand. He tossed them a scroll. “Here’s your prophecy.” Kihyun caught and read the scroll after he unfolded it.

_Lotuses everywhere_

_Beware!_

_Death will wait_

_For them to come_

“What does it mean?” Shownu asked. “Lotus might be referring to the Lotus Eaters,” Kihyun said. “Indeed,” Chiron said. “For you see, the gods have asked for you to receive a package from the Lotus Casino in Las Vegas.” The three boys looked at one another. Las Vegas is located West, and their camp is located on the East. In other words, the three of them will have to travel to the other side of the country while facing monsters.

“It may seem tough,” Chiron said. “But if you think smart and, on your toes, it is doable.” The three of them accepted the quest. Chiron gave them a back full of gold drachmas and some ambrosia and nectar. “May the gods be with you,” he said. The three demigods left the office. “I’ve never been to a casino,” Wonho said. “I would hope not,” Kihyun said. “None of us are old enough to enter one.” 

The legions or descendants of demigods can choose which cabin they wish to live in. Kihyun got to choose between Athena and Hephaestus and he chose Athena’s cabin. They seem a lot less intimidating compared to Hephaestus. “Going on a quest, Kihyun?” Namjoon-Kihyun’s head counsellor- asked. Kihyun nodded. Namjoon, being a Korean like Kihyun, was one of the few people in the camp aside from Kihyun’s friends to call him Kihyun. “May the gods be with you,” the rest of the cabin said.

“I can’t believe Cameron’s going on a quest,” One of Wonho’s half-brothers said. “He is not even close to the definition of an Ares kid. Plus, he doesn’t care about bringing any honour to our father’s name.” His other siblings said nothing, but their expression showed they agreed with whoever was speaking. 

“Which makes me the perfect person for the quest,” Wonho said with a smirk. “What was that?” His half-brother raged. He tried to attack Wonho but Wonho quickly dodged and countered. “Like I said, I’m the perfect person for this quest,” Wonho said uncaringly. He quickly left the cabin.

Kihyun had already finished packing and was waiting for everyone. “What’s wrong?” He asked Wonho noticing Wonho’s sour mood. “Nothing,” Wonho muttered. “Just wondering for the umpteenth time how am I Ares’s son.”

Kihyun grimaced. Wonho is generally a nice but sensitive guy. Unfortunately, Ares’s children are the exact opposite. As a result, Wonho and his half-siblings were always at odds. Kihyun gently rubs Wonho’s back. “Ignore them.” At that moment, Shownu came back. “Argus is ready for us at the gate,” he said. He noticed Kihyun’s hand on Wonho’s back. “What’s wrong?”

“Wonho’s having trouble with his cabin mates,” Kihyun said quickly. “Forget them,” Shownu said to Wonho. “They are just jealous because you are better than them.” He leaves before Wonho could say anything. Kihyun sighed and muttered something under his breath. “What’s wrong?” Wonho asked. “Nothing,” Kihyun said.

At the gate, their other friends were waiting for them. “Chiron told us about your quest,” Jooheon said. “Las Vegas,” Minhyuk said. “Sounds like fun.”

“As long as we live,” Kihyun said. “You’ll live,” Hyungwon said. “Another dream?” Kihyun asked. “Nope,” Hyungwon said. “My gut.” 


	2. Denver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do our three heroes encounter on their journey

Argus, the camp security guard drove the three boys to the nearest bus stop. “So, how do we get to Las Vegas?” Wonho asked. Kihyun took out his GPS navigator. Technology and demigods are like oil and water, but Kihyun being a descendent of Hephaestus, was able to create gadgets that were safe for half-bloods. With that being said, Kihyun never lets anyone touch his gadgets unless they use it under his supervision.

“The quickest way to travel would be using the air,” Kihyun said. Both Shownu and Wonho paled. “But I think we should go by land, so we don’t upset anyone,” Kihyun added. Unlike Wonho, Shownu was not afraid of heights, but the Lord of the Skies was very territorial. He had declared that none of his brothers’ children are allowed to use his domain unless it’s an emergency (life or death), are with other immortal beings or have his permission. Shownu always thought the king of the gods to be an intimidating being and wants to avoid talking to him as much as possible.

“How long will it take by land?” Wonho asked with a look of relief. “Two days not including pit stops,” Kihyun answered. “Isn’t there some mythical thing we can use to save some time?” Wonho asked. Kihyun thought for a moment. “I might have something,” he said taking out his half-blood safe cellphone. After tinkering with his cellphone, Kihyun said, “The grey sisters can take us to Chicago.” The sisters had extended their services to Minnesota. “From Chicago, we can take a bus to Denver and spend the night there. After that, we take another bus to Las Vegas. It’ll cut down our travelling time by a few hours.”

“That sounds fine,” Shownu said. Kihyun quickly called the Grey Sisters. “Damn,” Kihyun said after he finished his call. “What’s wrong?” Shownu asked. “The trip is going to cost us all but one drachma,” Kihyun said. “What?” Wonho gaped. At that moment, the cab arrived. “We are here to offer our services to William and his friends,” one of the sisters said. The sisters were three old ladies with grey hair. They had no eyes and a big circle in the middle of their forehead.

“Don’t you think you are asking a lot for a one-way trip to Chicago?” Wonho asked. “You ungrateful brats should be grateful that someone is willing to take you to Chicago in the first place,” one of the sisters snapped. Before Wonho could argue back, Kihyun said, “You are right. We should be extremely grateful. Please, forgive my friend.” He indicated Wonho to apologize. Wonho raised an eyebrow. Kihyun hit Wonho’s side with his elbow. “Sorry,” Wonho said. “Whatever,” said another sister. “Just hurry up and get in before we change our mind.”

An hour later, the cab had reached Chicago. The three boys got out of the car with wobbly legs. “I am never taking their services,” Wonho said while taking deep breaths. “Do they hate half-bloods or something?”

“Yeah,” Kihyun said. “Because of Perseus.”

“What about him?” Wonho asked. “Never mind,” Kihyun said with an eye-roll. Thankfully for the boys, the sisters dropped them off near their destination. Within 20 minutes, the three boys had gotten their tickets and quickly got on the bus for Denver.

Surprisingly, the trip to Denver has been normal. The three boys didn’t have to fight anyone on the road. Although, they did notice creatures that the mortals in the bus failed to notice, such as the pure white cow in one of the forests, a flock of Stymphalian birds flying overhead, and a Cretan bull. Other than that, the trip was uneventful. But that made the boys even more nervous.

Once they got off the bus at Denver past midnight, Shownu immediately noticed it. It looked like a large wolf standing on its hind legs. There were three large sharp horns on top of its head, and it had a plate of armour covering all of its body with a few gaps. “What is that?” Shownu asked. Kihyun looked at what Shownu was referring to and his eyes widened. “It can’t be,” he said. “What is it?” Shownu asked Kihyun. “We need to get out of here, now!” Kihyun said urgently. “Why?” Wonho questioned. He was taken aback by Kihyun’s tone. “Just move!” Kihyun said.

Shownu and Wonho followed Kihyun as he led them away from the station and towards a deserted lake area. “There,” Kihyun said. “This will make things even for us.”

“Mind telling us why you panicked so much back there?” Wonho asked. “That creature that Shownu saw, was an Aeternae,” Kihyun said. “According to the stories, Alexander the Great stated he and his crew saw one while on their way to conquer India. The creature had caused the death of a handful of Alexander’s crew members.”

Right on cue, a fierce roar tore through the night. The Aeternae was coming after them! “Scatter now!” Kihyun said. The three of them managed to dodge the Aeternae’s attack. Wonho changed his watch into a sword and charged at the creature, but the beast blocked Wonho’s attack with its armoured arm. Shownu attacked the creature from its other side, but his attack was countered just like Wonho’s attack. 

While the other two boys distracted the Aeternae, Kihyun went behind the creature and stabbed the creature in the gap of the creature’s armour. The Aeternae stood up on its hind legs and let out a painful scream. Wonho and Shownu jumped out of the creature's way. The beast tried to reach Kihyun, who was hanging onto his dagger that was attached to the creature’s back.

Shownu looked towards the gentle lake and closed his eyes to concentrate and connect with the spirit of the lake. Once he got the connection, he shouted, “Kihyun! Get off, now!” As soon as it was safe, Kihyun let go of his dagger. The back and forth movement of the creature caused Kihyun to fling back pretty far. Thankfully, Wonho was there to catch him.

The two of them watched as the waves from the lake dragged the Aeternae into the lake while it struggled. They kept on watching until the creature was submerged into the water, and no bubbles were popping on the surface of the lake.

Once it was clear that the creature was not coming back up, Kihyun-with Wonho’s help-got up from the ground. Wonho followed after him and grimaced at the mud stuck to his pants. “Nice work,” Kihyun said to Shownu. “But what about my dagger?”

“Ah,” Shownu said. “One second.” He closed his eyes and concentrated. Wonho and Kihyun stared at the lake in silence. A few minutes later, something popped out of the water and landed by Kihyun’s feet. It was his dagger. Kihyun happily took the dagger out of the muddy ground and put it away. “Thanks,” he said to the lake.

“So, what do we do now?” Wonho asked. “Find a place to sleep,” Shownu said. “I’m exhausted.” Kihyun checked his GPS and said “There is a hotel nearby. Maybe it’ll have rooms for us to crash in.”

“Then let’s go!” Wonho said eagerly. He wanted nothing more but to close his eyes and sleep on a warm bed. The three of them quickly left the area.

“Ki,” Wonho said when they reached their destination. “You sure this is the right area?” They stopped in front of an old building that looks abandoned. There was graffiti on the walls and some of the window glasses were broken. “Look at the sign,” Kihyun said. Wonho looked at the broken sign located on top of the building’s entrance. At first, the letters made no sense, but it slowly transformed into the Ancient Greek word for Party Pony Hotel.

“The hotel is strictly for the other side,” Kihyun said. “We should be safe here since they are Chiron’s people.” They entered the building and the inside was much better than the building’s outside appearance. It looked like a high-class hotel with its emerald green and gold designs. In front of them was the reception desk, which was covered with white flowers, with a female centaur standing behind the desk.

“You must be from Camp Half-Blood!” The female centaur exclaimed when she saw the boys. “Are you on a mission for Chiron?” The three boys exchanged a look. “We need to go to Las Vegas,” Shownu said. “Why are demigods so fascinated by the underworld?” The centaur muttered while shaking her head. Wonho wanted to correct her, but Kihyun stopped him. “Do you know how we can get to Las Vegas as soon as possible?” he asked. “We aren’t in a rush, but we still want to complete this mission as soon as possible.”

“There is special service called Apollo’s chariot,” the female centaur replied. “It will take you to Las Vegas in three hours, and costs 20 gold drachmas.”

“We don’t have 20 drachmas,” Wonho said. “Ambrosia and nectar work as well,” the centaur said. “We’ll take it!” Shownu said. “At this rate, we’ll have nothing left,” Wonho muttered. “Excellent,” the female centaur said. She rang the bell on her desk, and a nymph joined them. “As for your room, I’ll send the bill to Chiron. Be sure to wake up precisely at dawn to catch your ride on time.”

Once the three boys entered their room, Kihyun tipped the nymph their last drachma. “We’ve had a long day,” Shownu said. “Let’s try to get some rest since we need to get up early.” The other two boys agreed. Shownu turned off the lights and closed his eyes. He prayed to Hypnos for a peaceful night of sleep.

The colour black was the only thing Shownu saw. Everywhere he looked it was as dark as the night sky. “Shownu,” Kihyun called out. Shownu turned towards the direction of the voice. He saw both Kihyun and Wonho. “Kihyun, Wonho,” he greeted.

“Alright Hyungwon,” Kihyun said. “Where are you?”

“Right here, Ki,” Hyungwon said appearing from the black area. Dream manipulation was another one of Hyungwon’s powers since he was also the legion of Morpheus. As long as Hyungwon had a personal connection with a person, he can manipulate a person’s dream regardless of the distance.

“Dude, we have to wake up early tomorrow!” Wonho said with exasperation. “Not my problem,” Hyungwon said. “Minhyuk and Jooheon were starting to worry.”

“Well, we all safely made it to Denver,” Shownu said. “And are currently staying at a hotel owned by one of the Party Ponies.”

“So, things are going surprisingly smoothly?” Hyungwon asked. “I mean, we did run into an aeternae,” Wonho said. “A what?” Hyungwon exclaimed. “An Aeternae,” Wonho said. “You know, the creature that Alexander and his…”

“I know what an aeternae is!” Hyungwon said. “My “what” wasn’t me not knowing what you are talking about, it’s me not believing you!”

“Believe it or not, it happened,” Kihyun said. “I’ll talk to Chiron about this,” Hyungwon said. “You better,” Kihyun said. “Or I will hit you when I come back!” Hyungwon smiled. “I’ll let you all get some sleep,” he said before fading into the darkness. “We are going to look like a zombie tomorrow, aren’t we?” Wonho asked.


	3. The Lotus Casino at Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go to get their package

Wonho’s prediction turned out to be true. The next morning, not even the early riser Kihyun could resist a yawn. “Remind me to kill a turtle when we get back to camp,” he said with an annoyed tone. The three of them wanted to try a cup of the hotel’s coffee so badly, but they were broke. “When is this thing coming?” Wonho complained.

Before he could let out another yawn, a car appeared before their eyes. “Apollo’s Chariot at your service,” said the driver. “Is this _the_ Chariot?” Wonho asked as he looked at the vehicle. It looked like a Toyota Prius. “Of course not,” said the driver. “It’s a replica. Apollo is possessive of his things.”

“You are one of the Heliades?” Kihyun asked. The driver smiled. “I’m Aetheria.”

“Heliades?” Wonho asked. “One of the daughters of Helios,” Kihyun answered. “Now that we are all acquainted, can I get my payment please?” Aetheria said. “How much?” Kihyun asked. They had six pieces. Aetheria took 3 pieces. “How considerate,” Wonho said with a blank look. “Be glad that I’m not the Grey Sisters, plus it’s a round trip,” Aetheria said. Wonho wanted to argue that they already know what the Grey Sisters are like, but Kihyun stopped him.

“Are we going to teleport?” Shownu asked as they got on. “No, we are going to fly,” Aetheria responded. “FLY?” The three boys exclaimed. “Don’t worry, Zeus won’t blast you since you are with me, remember?” Aetheria said. “As for the Son of Ares, I got him some music and a blindfold.”

“You know who we are?” Kihyun asked. “Apollo _never_ shuts up about his kids,” Aetheria said as if that answered everything. “Now buckle up.” Wonho put on his blindfold and the headphones. He let out a moan. “Who in the name of Hades listens to country music!?” His complaints went unanswered.

…

“Wonho wake up,” Shownu said. “We are here.” The country music and the blindfold caused Wonho to fall asleep. Wonho stretched. “That was refreshing,” he said. As Wonho left the car, he saw a bright neon sign that read LOTUS HOTEL AND CASINO. Wonho thought that the sign was a wastage of energy since it was broad daylight outside. 

“Now remember,” Kihyun said. “This the realm of the Lotus Eaters! Chiron said…”

“That the atmosphere of the place will make a person lose track of time,” Wonho said. “Before a person knows it, he or she could end up spending an entire day when it feels like a minute. We know, Ki. We saw the orientation video.”

“Something tells me that I will still end up worrying,” Kihyun said. The three entered the casino and were stunned by the atmosphere. The bright lights, the fun music, and the smell of delicious food made them want to just relax and have fun.

“We need to find the package,” Kihyun said. “Do we know what the package is?” Shownu asked. No one answered him. “Gods,” Kihyun said with annoyance. “Why didn’t we ask Chiron?”

“I think we should split up and look for the package,” Wonho said. “Maybe Chiron didn’t mention anything because we would know what the package is.”

“It’s the best thing we can do, I guess,” Kihyun said. So, the three of them separated, unaware of a pair of eyes watching them from the shadows.

Kihyun was sitting by the nicely furnished bar area. It was the area with the most staff, and Kihyun thought they would probably have some intel on the package. One of the staff members near him whispered to her companion, “It came again.”

“It will go away once Spring arrives,” her companion said reassuringly. “I know,” the waitress said. “But why are we letting it come and go as it pleases?”

“Orders from Lord Death,” her companion had said. Kihyun wouldn’t have cared about the conversation until his brain thought about the oracle message. _Death will wait._

Kihyun kept an eye on the two servers. He followed and listened to their conversation. He learned that “it” was in a room located at the back of the casino. He quickly heads toward the room.

The room was small and dark. The only source of light was the moonlight coming through the window. Kihyun entered the room cautiously. “Are you from Camp Half-Blood?” a voice called out to him in English from the shadows.

Kihyun stared at the direction of the voice with wide eyes and his dagger in his hand. A young boy came out from the shadows. He was the same height as Kihyun but with wider shoulders and a well-defined nose. He had black hair and his eyes were soul-searching dark. Kihyun thought the boy looked really innocent and extremely mature at the same time. 

“Are you from Camp Half-Blood?” the boy repeated his question. “Who are you? Kihyun questions back in English. “My name is Changkyun,” the boy said. “I am the package you are looking for.” Kihyun blinked. “Who are you?” Kihyun asked with narrowed eyes.

Changkyun frowned. “I already said.”

“No, I meant as in _what_ are you?” Kihyun said. “I am like you,” Changkyun answered calmly. “You are a Half-Blood?” Kihyun said with a curious look. Changkyun nodded. “Who is your parent?” Kihyun asked still not believing the current situation. Changkyun was just too calm. “You will find out in camp,” Changkyun said. “If you take me to camp.”

“How did you know I was coming?” Kihyun asked. “My father told me,” Changkyun said. “Your father is a god then?” Kihyun inquired. His curiosity made him kept asking Changkyun questions. Changkyun did not deny nor confirm him which only aggravated Kihyun. After a moment of silence, Changkyun said. “We should go and get your friends."

"How do you know that…?" Kihyun started to ask. "All Half-Blood quests are done either alone or with three people,” Changkyun said. “I’m not so out of touch compared to your typical half-blood, in case that wasn’t obvious.” Kihyun huffed. “Are you Korean?” he asked in Korean. “Your name sounds like a Korean name.”

“I am Korean,” Changkyun said in Korean.

They went back to the casino and found Shownu near the buffet eating some chicken. “Shownu-hyung!” Kihyun exclaimed. Shownu looked up when he heard his name. “Ki!” he said. “How’s it going?”

“Hyung, we need to leave,” Kihyun said urgently, “Go?” Shownu said with a confused expression. “Why? Did we find the package?”

“Yeah, he is here with us,” Kihyun said. Shownu finally looked beside Kihyun to notice Changkyun. “Hi,” Shownu said with a friendly smile in English. “My name is Hyunwoo, but you can call me Shownu or David.”

“He is Korean, hyung,” Kihyun told Shownu in Korean. “Is that so?” Shownu said in Korean. He turned to Changkyun. “How old are you?” Shownu asked Changkyun in Korean. “I’m 17 by the way.” Changkyun’s response was in Korean. “I’m 14.” Kihyun twitched. “Your actual age,” he said to Changkyun. “My physical age is my actual age,” Changkyun said. Kihyun wanted to argue that Changkyun couldn’t possibly be his physical age, but something told him Changkyun was not going to answer him.

“Where is Wonho-hyung?” Kihyun asked instead. “I think he is at the arcade,” Shownu said. “Then let’s go!” Kihyun said. “But I haven’t finished eating!” Shownu said looking at the food mournfully. “Shownu, we need to leave now!” Kihyun said in English.

“Okay, okay,” Shownu said quickly in Korean. “Let’s go and find Wonho!” They found Wonho in one of the racing games located in the arcade. He was wearing headphones and was fully engrossed in his game. “Wonho!” Kihyun said. “Wonho-hyung!” Wonho didn’t respond. “Hoseok Lee! Answer me!” Kihyun yelled as he took off Wonho’s headphones. “What?” Wonho said with a startled expression. “Hades, Ki! What do you want?”

“We need to go,” Kihyun said. “Go?” Wonho said. “But I’m just about to beat my high score!” 

“We can’t stay here,” Kihyun said. “The longer we stay, the more influenced we will be by the hotel!”

“But Ki!” Wonho whined. “It’s only one more round!” Kihyun wanted to argue but Shownu said. “Let’s just let Wonho play this round. We can eat something in the meantime!” He took some food from a tray passing by. Kihyun could not believe what he was hearing. Were his friends already under the influence of the casino?

Someone patted Kihyun on the shoulder. Kihyun saw that it was Changkyun. “I can get us out of here,” he said. “But I need to know some things.”

Kihyun stared before he said, “Fine. But be more polite since I’m older than you.” Changkyun grimaced but he politely asked. “Do you already have a ride waiting to pick you up?” Kihyun was confused but he answered. “Yes.”

“Are they waiting for you outside?” Changkyun asked. “No,” Kihyun said. “Can you contact them?” Changkyun continued to inquire. “Yes,” Kihyun said. “In that case, tell them to pick you up 15 km west from here,” Changkyun said. “Why?” Kihyun said. The location makes no sense to him. “Just trust me,” Changkyun said. Kihyun thought that was a tall order, but he did as Changkyun asked.

Once Kihyun finished the call, Changkyun said. “I need you to touch both of your friends.” Again, it was a weird order but Kihyun followed. He touched Shownu’s arm and Wonho’s shoulder. The two of them didn’t pay attention. Changkyun touched Kihyun’s shoulder. Kihyun shivered at the cold touch. “Brace yourself,” Changkyun said. “What…?” Kihyun was about to ask but the next thing he knew, his vision was surrounded by darkness. Kihyun gasped. His body felt like it was moving through something really fast and cold. The next thing Kihyun knew, he was surrounded by trees.

Kihyun shakily let go of his friends and turned to look at Changkyun. Changkyun was taking deep breaths while leaning against a tree. “What happened?” Shownu asked. “ All I remembered is feeling happy,” Wonho said. The two of them appeared to have snapped out of the casino’s influence. Speaking of the casino, Kihyun could hear a ruckus coming from the casino.

“We need to go,” Changkyun said weakly. His voice caught the attention of the other two boys. “Who are you?” Wonho asked with a frown. “He is what we are looking for,” Kihyun said. “Shownu-hyung, pick him up. We need to carry him back to our ride.”

“What?” Wonho said while Shownu did as Kihyun told. Shownu knew better than to question Kihyun. When he picked up Changkyun, Shownu noticed that Changkyun was light and extremely cold. He and Wonho followed Kihyun’s lead to their ride.

“Well, well, well,” Aetheria said when she saw them. “And here I thought you would never call.”

“How long has it been?” Kihyun asked as they got on. “Around 36 hours,” Aetheria said. “What?” Wonho exclaimed. “But it felt like only an hour?”

“Welcome to the Lotus Casino,” Aetheria said with a smirk. “A casino that makes you lose time. Now buckle up.”

“Wait!” Wonho said. “I’m not ready.” But the vehicle was already in the air.

…

Wonho shakily got out of the car and held onto the nearest tree. Mercifully, the ride was short. They had reached the camp an hour before midnight. “I think I deserve some extra payment since I skipped the scenic route,” Aetheria said. Wonho was going to argue but Changkyun gave her a small pouch before he could. It sounded like it was filled with coins. Aetheria opened the pouch and surely enough, it was filled with gold drachmas. “As expected,” was all she said.

Shownu and Wonho gave her confused looks while Changkyun and Kihyun ignored her. The four of them entered the camp to see their three friends waiting for them behind the big pine tree. Jooheon happily hugged Shownu. “We were waiting here ever since Hyungwon told us you had reached Denver,” he said with a smile that showed his dimples. Shownu softly smiled back.

“Welcome back,” Minhyuk said to Kihyun and Wonho with a bright smile. “Good to be back,” Kihyun said with a relaxed smile. “Who did you bring back with you?” Hyungwon asked noticing Changkyun.

“He is whom I asked them to pick up,” Chiron said joining the seven boys. “His name is Changkyun Im or Daniel.” As soon as Chiron said Changkyun’s name everyone gasped. Changkyun looked up. He was unsurprised by the skull burning in Greek fire above his head. “Welcome Daniel,” Chiron said kneeling. “Son of Hades. Lord of Death and Wealth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter account: https://twitter.com/Lining09Silver

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked this.  
> Send me a comment if you have any questions.


End file.
